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Romo cited in incident at Las Vegas airport

Giants right-hander Sergio Romo was cited and briefly detained by police on New Year's Day at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas after arguing with authorities, according to various reports.

TMZ reported that Romo, 29, failed to produce the proper identification to clear security and was halted by police. At that point, TMZ said, Romo jawed with a Transportation Security Administration officer and was handcuffed. Reports said that Romo then was taken to the airport police station, cited for violating airport rules and released. He was not allowed to board the flight he was scheduled to take.

Romo issued a statement through the Giants:

"I would like to sincerely apologize about the recent events at the Las Vegas airport which brought negative attention to the San Francisco Giants organization and its fans," Romo said. "I love and respect the Giants, my teammates and our fans and promise to conduct myself in the future in the 'San Francisco Giants Way.'"

Known as one of the more genial Giants, Romo catches virtually all of the ceremonial pregame first pitches. He also was the only player to appear at the club's holiday party for underserved children last month at AT&T Park.

Romo's coming off a highly successful season in which he finished 4-2 with 14 saves and a 1.79 ERA in 69 games for the World Series winners. He also was on the mound for the final out of each postseason round and allowed one earned run in 10 2/3 innings spanning 10 appearances. Romo saved four postseason games, including three in the World Series against Detroit.

Chris Haft is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.